Socket mounts for lighting fixtures

ABSTRACT

Lighting fixtures provided with structure for mounting a lamp socket on a part of the lighting fixture. A substantially Ushaped springy member is fixed to the lighting fixture part and has a pair of legs extending from the latter part with each leg having a pair of side flanges forming a guide channel from each leg. A bracket is fixed to the lamp socket and is received between the legs of the springy member in the guide channels thereof. The bracket is in the form of an elongated strip received in the guide channels and the springy U-shaped member may be formed with an opening to receive a projection at the free end of the strip which forms the bracket. A catch structure is provided to retain the bracket and springy member in assembled condition.

United States Patent 91 Yarmark 1 March 6, 1973 1 SOCKET MOUNTS FORLIGHTING FIXTURES Primary ExaminerJoseph F. Peters, Jr. AssistantExaminer-Richard A. Wintercorn Attorney-Blum, Moscovitz, Friedman &Kaplan 5 7 ABSTRACT Lighting fixtures provided with structure formounting a lamp socket on a part of the lighting fixture. Asubstantially U-shaped springy member is fixed to the lighting fixturepart and has a pair of legs extending from the latter part with each leghaving a pair of side flanges forming a guide channel from each leg. Abracket is fixed to the lamp socket and is received between the legs ofthe springy member in the guide channels thereof. The bracket is in theform of an elongated strip received in the guide channels and thespringy U-shaped member may be formed with an opening to receive aprojection at the free end of the strip which forms the bracket. A catchstructure is provided to retain the bracket and springy member inassembled condition.

7 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures SOCKET MOUNTS FOR LIGHTING FIXTURESBACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION bular components of lighting fixtures suchas those m which form chandeliers or candelabra-simulating fixtures.

Such lighting fixtures have lamp sockets which must be assembled withtubular components or arms of the fixture. For this purpose it iscustomary to attach to the lamp socket a tapped bracket. Then the entiresocket is fastened with the fixture arm or the like by screwing thethreaded bracket on to a threaded tube, for example, which forms part ofthe lighting fixture. Then the structure is fully assembled with thelighting fixture at the factory.

One of the disadvantages resulting in this conventional arrangement isthat in attaching the socket to the tube or the like the socket isnecessarily turned with respectto the tube, so that the wires whichextend from the socket become twisted and all of the electricalconnections are under an undesirable strain.

A further disadvantage of this conventional arrangement results from thefact that the sockets must be attached to the fixture at the plant sothat the sockets are assembled with the fixture during shipment thereof.Frequently such sockets become broken away from the fixture duringshipment, creating considerable inconvenience when the fixture reachesits destination.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is accordingly a primary object of thepresent invention to provide a lighting fixture with a structure whichwill avoid the above drawbacks.

In particular it is an object of the present invention to provide for alighting fixture a structure which will enable a lamp socket to beassembled therewith without requiring any turning of the lamp socketwith respect to the lighting fixture part to which it is connected.

Thus, it is an object of the invention to provide a construction whichenables a socket to be simply snapped onto a mounting part withexclusively longitudinal movement of the socket along its central axis,so that turning of the socket is completely unnecessary.

Furthermore it is an object of the present invention to provide astructure which will enable the sockets to be assembled with thelighting fixture at the final destination through simple snapping of thesockets onto a part connected to the fixture, so that with such anarrangement it becomes unnecessary to attach the sockets to the fixtureat the plant. Instead the sockets can be shipped separately or can besupplied by the electrician at the final destination. The electricianhimself can conveniently snap the sockets onto the fixture when thefixture is installed at its final location, so that in this way thehazards of shipping can be eliminated.

In accordance with the invention there are a pair of means respectivelyfixed to the socket and to a fixture part on which the socket is to bemounted. This pair of means coact in such a way that they can beassembled without turning of the lamp socket or lighting fixture partone with respect to the other, and a catch means forms part of the pairof means for retaining the latter in their assembled condition.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS The invention is illustrated by way ofexample in the accompanying drawings which form part of this applicationand in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective illustration of one embodiment of theinvention, FIG. 1 showing a lamp and lamp socket as well as part of alighting fixture on which the lamp socket is to be mounted;

FIG. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation, at a scale somewhat largerthan FIG. 1, illustrating the parts of FIG. 1 in their assembledcondition;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of another embodiment of theinvention;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of part of the bracket structureof FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation of yet another embodiment ofthe invention.

DESCRIPTION OFPREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. 1, there isillustrated therein an elongated tubular part 10 of a lighting fixture12 which includes an arm 14 or the like. This arm 14 has an internallythreaded tubular portion 16 into which the lower threaded end 18 of thetubular part 10 is threaded, this part 10 having just above the threadedbottom end region 18 thereof a flange or collar 20 fixed thereto forengaging the top surface of the arm 14 of the fixture. In this way thepart 10 forms a part of the fixture 12. It will be noted that the part10 can be freely turned in the direction of the arrow 22, while beingassembled with arm 14 in the direction of the arrow 24 without anytwisting of the wires 26 which extend through the tubular part 10.

A lamp socket 28 carries a lamp 30 and is to be mounted on the part 10.The wires 26 are electrically connected with the socket 28 in aconventional manner, and the lamp 30 is a conventional bulb which may besimply threaded into the socket 28, for example.

In accordance with the invention in order to mount the socket 28 on thepart 10 a pair of means 32 and 34 are respectively fixed to the part 10and socket 28. The pair of means 32 and 34 coact with each other so asto assume the assembled condition shown in FIG. 3 without any turning ofthe socket 28 or the part 10 one with respect to the other. The assemblyof the pair of means 32 and 34 is brought about simply by movement ofthe socket 28 longitudinally along its central axis.

The means 32 is in the form of a substantially U- shaped springy member36 having a bottom transverse wall 38 and a pair of legs 40 and 42extending from the part 10. The transverse bottom wall 38 of member 36is formed with a central opening which receives the top end of thetubular part 10. This part 10 may be fixed to the member 36 by beingrolled over the top surface of the wall 38 or staked thereto, as isapparent from FIG. 2. The leg 40 has a pair of side flanges 44 and 46while the leg 42 has a pair of side flanges 48 and 50. These sideflanges form the legs 40 and 42 into a pair of guide channels. In theexample of FIGS. 1 and 2 the leg 40 is formed with an opening 52 whichforms part of a catch means for retaining the pair of means 32 and 34 intheir assembled condition.

The means 34 is in the form of a bracket having the configuration of anelongated strip 54 made of any suitable spring metal, for example. It isfixed, as by a pin or rivet 56 to the socket 28. Beyond the socket 28the bracket 54 is of a substantially Z-shaped configuration so that ithas a pair of opposed wall portions 58 and 60 interconnected by theinclined wall..portions 62. These opposed wall portions 58 and 60 areadapted to be received between and to slidably engage the opposed wallportions formed by the legs 40 and 42 of the means 32. The guidechannels formed by the legs 40 and 42 with their side flanges guide thewall portions 58 and 60 for longitudinal movement along the innersurfaces of the legs 40 and 42.

The elongated strip 54 which forms the bracket fixed to the socket 28terminates in a free end 64 which is of a lesser width than theremainder of the strip 54. The wall 38 is formed at the region of itsjunction with the leg 42 with an opening 66 which receives the free end64 when the pair of means 32 and 34 are fully assembled.

As was indicated above the opening 52 of the leg 40 forms part of thecatch means. This catch means also includes a tongue 68 struck from thebracket 54. The location of the tongue 68 and opening 52 are such thatwhen the pair of means 32 and 34 are fully assembled the tongue 68 snapsinto the opening 52 so that the catch means 52, 68 will retain the pairof means 32 and 34 in their assembled condition.

Thus, with the structure of the invention the bracket 54 need only besnapped into the springy U-shaped member 36 in order to mount the socket28 on the part 10. This takes place only by longitudinal movement of thesocket 28 along its central axis. Twisting of the wires 26 is completelyeliminated. Through this structure of the invention it is convenient forthe electrician to assemble the socket 28 with the fixture when thelatter is installed, so that the socket 28 need not be permanentlyattached with the fixture at the plant and instead can be separatelyshipped so that danger of breakage is avoided.

In the embodiment of the invention which is illustrated in FIGS. 3 and4, all of the parts have the construction described above in connectionwith FIGS. 1 and 2 except for the means 34. The bracket which forms themeans 34 has a different construction in this embodiment. In thisembodiment the means 34 is in the form of a substantially U-shapedbracket having a pair of elongated legs or strip portions 70 and 72 bothof which are fixed at their top ends to the socket 28 by the rivet orpin 56. These elongated strip portions or legs 70 and 72 of the means 34of this embodiment are interconnected by a transverse wall 74 formedwith a central opening through which the wires 26 pass. At

their lower ends the pair of strips and 72 have tongues 76 and 78 strucktherefrom (FIG. 4), and these tongues terminate in lower ends 80 whichare narrower than the remainder of the tongues and which arerespectively received in suitable openings formed in the bottom wall 38of the means 32. Also in this embodiment the springy U-shaped member 36which forms the means 32 has both of its legs formed with openings 52and 52'. The pair of legs 70 and 72 of the bracket fixed to the socket28 in FIG. 3 respectively have tongues 82 and 84 struck therefrom tosnap into the openings 52' and 52 respectively, so that in theembodiment of FIGS. 3 and 4 the catch means is formed by a pair oftongues and openings.

The embodiment of FIG. 5 is identical with that of FIG. 3 except for thestructure of the bracket which forms the means 34. In this case thebracket 34 is formed by a pair of elongated strips 86 and 88respectively fixed to the socket 28 by the rivet or pin 56. These strips86 and 88 are parallel to each other and correspond to the legs orstrips 70 and 72 of FIG. 3. The strips 86 and 88 respectively terminateat their bottom ends in the projections 90 and 92 respectively receivedin openings formed in the bottom wall of the means 32. Also in this casethe strips 86 and 88 respectively have tongues 94 and 96 strucktherefrom to be received in openings formed in the opposed wall portionsof the springy U-shaped member which forms the means 32, so that in thiscase also the catch means is formed by a pair of tongues and openings.Thus, while the embodiment of FIG. 5 has a means 34 in the form of apair of separate components 86 and 88, these components are in the formof simple elongated straight strips so that they are exceedingly simpleand inexpensive. In the embodiment of FIG. 3 these strips are unitedinto a single component by the transverse wall 74 so that the means 34of FIG. 3 has a substantially U- shaped configuration. In FIGS. 1 and 2the means 34 is also in the form of a single member, and in this case ithas a substantially Z-shaped configuration as pointed out above. In allcases the side flanges of the legs 40 and 42 of the means 32 form guidechannels which precisely guide the bracket into its fully assembledcondition with the springy member.

Because of the springy characteristics of the metal which forms the pairof means 32 and 34 it is possible to displace the openings and tonguesof the catch means for ready disassembly of the pair of means 32 and 34.They can easily be reassembled by snapping the pair of means 32 and 34together into their fully assembled condition exclusively bylongitudinal movement of the socket 28 along its central axis so thatthrough this simple assembly procedure full and reliable assembly cantake place with a secure mounting of the socket on the fixture withoutrequiring any twisting of the wires and without requiring the sockets tobe attached to the fixture at the plant where the fixture is initiallymanufactured.

What is claimed is:

1. In a lighting fixture having a lamp-carrying part and a lamp socketto be mounted on said part, a pair of means respectively fixed to saidpart and socket for mounting said socket on said part when said pair ofmeans are assembled without turning of said socket and part one withrespect to the other, and catch means forming part of said pair of meansfor retaining said pair of means in their assembled condition, saidsocket having a central longitudinal axis, said pair of meansassumingtheir assembled condition upon longitudinal displacement of said partand socket one with respect to the other along said axis, said catchmeans coacting with said pair of means for retaining the latter in theirassembled condition after said socket and part have been moved on withrespect to the other to an extent sufficient to place said pair of meansin their fully assembled condition, one of said pair of means consistingonly of a U-shaped member having only a transverse wall and a pair oflegs extending therefrom and forming a pair of opposed wall portionsbetween which the other of said pair of means becomes located when saidpair of means are assembled.

2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said other of said pair ofmeans has a wall portion located directly next to one of said wallportions of said one pair of means to form with said one wall portion ofsaid one pair of means a pair of adjoining wall portions, and said catchmeans including a tongue struck from one of said adjoining wall portionsand an opening formed in the other of said adjoining wall portions andreceiving said tongue.

3. In a lighting fixture having a lamp-carrying part and a lamp socketto be mounted on said part, a pair of means respectively fixed to saidpart and socket for mounting said socket on said part when said pair ofmeans are assembled without turning of said socket and part one withrespect to the other, and catch means forming part of said pair of meansfor retaining said pair of means in their assembled condition, one ofsaid pair of means being in the form of a substantially U- shapedspringy member fixed to said part and having a pair of opposed legsextending from said part and each having a pair of side flanges formingat each leg a guide channel for receiving the other of said pair ofmeans, and said other of said pair of means including a bracket fixed tosaid socket and having a pair of opposed elongated wall portionssituated between and engaging said legs while guided in the saidchannels during assembly of said pair of means.

4. The combination of claim 3 and wherein said bracket is of asubstantially Z-shaped configuration and is in the form of an elongatedstrip terminating in a free end of a narrower width than the remainderof said strip, said U-shaped member being formed with an opening forreceiving said free end of said strip.

5. The combination of claim 3 and wherein said bracket includes a pairof elongated substantially parallel strips fixed to and extending fromsaid socket and received in said guide channels formed by said legs ofsaid substantially U-shaped member.

6. The combination of claim 5 and wherein said pair of strips form partof a common substantially U-shaped strip fixed to said socket.

7. The combination of claim 5 and wherein said strips are completelyseparate from each other.

1. In a lighting fixture having a lamp-carrying part and a lamp socketto be mounted on said part, a pair of means respectively fixed to saidpart and socket for mounting said socket on said part when said pair ofmeans are assembled without turning of said socket and part one withrespect to the other, and catch means forming part of said pair of meansfor retaining said pair of means in their assembled condition, saidsocket having a central longitudinal axis, said pair of means assumingtheir assembled condition upon longitudinal displacement of said partand socket one with respect to the other along said axis, said catchmeans coacting with said pair of means for retaining the latter in theirassembled condition after said socket and part have been moved on withrespect to the other to an extent sufficient to place said pair of meansin their fully assembled condition, one of said pair of means consistingonly of a Ushaped member having only a transverse wall and a pair oflegs extending therefrom and forming a pair of opposed wall portionsbetween which the other of said pair of means becomes located when saidpair of means are assembled.
 1. In a lighting fixture having alamp-carrying part and a lamp socket to be mounted on said part, a pairof means respectively fixed to said part and socket for mounting saidsocket on said part when said pair of means are assembled withoutturning of said socket and part one with respect to the other, and catchmeans forming part of said pair of means for retaining said pair ofmeans in their assembled condition, said socket having a centrallongitudinal axis, said pair of means assuming their assembled conditionupon longitudinal displacement of said part and socket one with respectto the other along said axis, said catch means coacting with said pairof means for retaining the latter in their assembled condition aftersaid socket and part have been moved on with respect to the other to anextent sufficient to place said pair of means in their fully assembledcondition, one of said pair of means consisting only of a U-shapedmember having only a transverse wall and a pair of legs extendingtherefrom and forming a pair of opposed wall portions between which theother of said pair of means becomes located when said pair of means areassembled.
 2. The combination of claim 1 and wherein said other of saidpair of means has a wall portion located directly next to one of saidwall portions of said one pair of means to form with said one wallportion of said one pair of means a pair of adjoining wall portions, andsaid catch means including a tongue struck from one of said adjoiningwall portions and an opening formed in the other of said adjoining wallportions and receiving said tongue.
 3. In a lighting fixture having alamp-carrying part and a lamp socket to be mounted on said part, a pairof means respectively fixed to said part and socket for mounting saidsocket on said part when said pair of means are assembled withoutturning of said socket and part one with respect to the other, and catchmeans forming part of said pair of means for retaining said pair ofmeans in their assembled condition, one of said pair of means being inthe form of a substantially U-shaped springy member fixed to said partand having a pair of opposed legs extending from said part and eachhaving a pair of side flanges forming at each leg a guide channel forreceiving the other of said pair of meanS, and said other of said pairof means including a bracket fixed to said socket and having a pair ofopposed elongated wall portions situated between and engaging said legswhile guided in the said channels during assembly of said pair of means.4. The combination of claim 3 and wherein said bracket is of asubstantially Z-shaped configuration and is in the form of an elongatedstrip terminating in a free end of a narrower width than the remainderof said strip, said U-shaped member being formed with an opening forreceiving said free end of said strip.
 5. The combination of claim 3 andwherein said bracket includes a pair of elongated substantially parallelstrips fixed to and extending from said socket and received in saidguide channels formed by said legs of said substantially U-shapedmember.
 6. The combination of claim 5 and wherein said pair of stripsform part of a common substantially U-shaped strip fixed to said socket.